


Day 3: Frosty the Snowman

by Hapkido9061



Series: 25 Cliché Days of Christmas [3]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Chanyeol as Santa, Christmas, Christmas Presents, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Mall Santa Claus, Sehun is Junmyeon's little brother, Yixing as an Elf, sulay - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 18:43:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16838260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hapkido9061/pseuds/Hapkido9061
Summary: “I’m Junmyeon.”“Yixing.”“I know.”“Wait… what?”“I’m also a magic elf. Don’t you know we all know each other’s names?”“What.”Or...Where Yixing works as a mall elf helping out Santa and hates children. They're terrible and loud and rude. Maybe this cute man and his little brother can change Yixing's mind before he spends all Christmas grumpy.





	Day 3: Frosty the Snowman

**Author's Note:**

> Day three is here (and a bit shorter but it's all fine!) Hope at least some of you enjoy my failed attempts at being light-hearted and funny... :P

Yixing tugged uncomfortably at the high collared uniform around his neck. Add that it was uncomfortable as hell to the fact that it was some hideous olive barf green elf costume and Yixing wasn’t even sure how it was legal to submit employees to this torture. Honestly, whoever thought that this abomination of an outfit was suitable for public display should be hanged until dead and then burned at the stake with gasoline. Yixing would volunteer to supply the matches.

Yixing wished he signed up for being the person dressed as Frosty the Snowman greeting people as they came in, but no. He was stuck as generic brand Buddy the Elf with way too much blush on his cheeks.

He shifted in place as the next screaming child came up to ‘Santa’s’ lap. Yixing gave a kind smile to the harried mom trying to control her spawn of Satan. She couldn’t tell that it was more a grimace than anything; the mothers never did. In a warning to Chanyeol sitting behind him in the Santa suit, Yixing gave the sign of two fingers. It was low enough that only Chanyeol could see it. He heard his coworker give a stifled groan before falling back into character.

“Santa!!”

“Oh no, Jongin sweetie…”

The child caught the eye of Chanyeol… err, Santa… and screamed even louder. Yixing flinched in pain for Chanyeol as he heard the little boy climb onto his lap and ram his bony elbow right into the family jewels. Oof, that must have hurt. But alas, it wasn’t the first time it had happened. Chanyeol had learned and was wearing protection. Children were horrible like that.

All the requests for dolls and Legos and race cars and mystical ponies faded into white noise for Yixing. The fake smiles he had to give the families as he helped them move in line had begun to hurt his face. And he didn’t even get a thank you from any of the mothers or fathers for it. Those damn photographs had better be worth being a dick to poor college aged mall employees paying for tuition.

At least he was getting paid.

The day was winding down. Nothing was more eventful than a few kids wetting their pants from excitement of getting to see Santa and the common meltdown. Every third boy and fourth girl had a emotional breakdown of some sort- Yixing counted. Chanyeol stood and paced around his area, tugging the fake white beard down a few times to let his skin breathe. His arms were stretched up above his head as high as they could go.

“Dear God, I hate kids. Have I ever said that? ‘Cause I do,” Chanyeol complained. Yixing groaned in agreement.

“Do you have to do it again tomorrow?”

Chanyeol shook his head. The red hat’s pompom atop his head shook back and forth with the motion. “It’s Jongdae tomorrow. I’m off for the rest of the season. Thank the sweet seven pound, eight ounce, sweet baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothing.”

“Ugh. Lucky,” Yixing said with a groan. He still had to work the rest of the holiday season right up until Christmas Eve. It was only four more days, but that meant four more days of mind numbing, child filled torture. “Hey, how much longer do we have tonight? I left my phone in the break room.”

“Um…” Chanyeol pulled up his baggy sleeve to stare at his watch. “Ten minutes.”

Yixing looked around at the mall. The only people he could see were sparse- their unit closed the same time the actual mall did. “You think we could close early?”

Chanyeol shrugged. You got some hot date?”

Yixing snorted. “As if. I have to binge watch Hallmark movies before I lose all Christmas spirit. Finals kicked my ass.” Truthfully, there wasn’t really a reason to stay open for the last ten minutes. No one ever came during the end of the evening.

No one but the man and a small boy walking right up to Yixing. Just his luck.

He huffed under his breath but put on his best ‘customer-service’ smile. The little boy hid behind the man’s leg as Yixing crouched down to his level. He didn’t scream like the rest and didn’t cry or try to pull at his fake ears. The encounter was starting normal, but something always went wrong when children were involved. Always.

“Hi there! Did you come for a picture with Santa?”

The little boy didn’t answer but tugged the man’s tailored pants instead. (Yixing certainly was impressed. Those probably cost more than his tuition). Yixing looked up for the answer from him. Damn was he attractive, that forehead with hair swooped back, tight fitting button down, and dear God Yixing was in love. He cleared his throat to take his mind of the man’s beauty.

“If it’s all right. I know you’re close to closing soon, but this is the only time we could spare away from our parents,” he said. An awkward, but pleasant, laugh escaped his lips. Yixing wanted to kiss them until they couldn’t laugh at all. He didn’t look that much older, maybe a year or two at most.

“It’s no problem,” Yixing fake cooed at the boy’s growing excitement as the man said he could see Santa. “Why don’t I take you right back to see him?”

“Thanks,” the man whispered to Yixing as the little boy cautiously approached Chanyeol who was standing in front of the chair, looking over to the side. Yixing coughed to gain Chanyeol’s attention. Said man startled, but instantly fell back into character at the sight of him. Chanyeol let out his jolliest laugh. He jumped.

Yixing braced for tears, but none came.

The boy looked back but approached Santa anyways. He held his arms up for Chanyeol to pick him up. He looked surprised, as was Yixing. Often times, it was either the parents plopping the kid down onto Chanyeol’s lap none too gently or they clamored up his legs themselves. They never asked to be held. Yixing didn’t even believe children to be so polite.

“So… what brings you out so late?” Yixing asked as the little boy began to tell Chanyeol his Christmas list. He didn’t dislike small talk, especially not with this attractive man.

“Sehun wasn’t feeling the Christmas spirit very much. Our parents told me to bring him out to the mall,” he told Yixing. He felt something rise in his chest that felt like victory. He wasn’t married based on the empty fourth finger on his left hand and this wasn’t his son. His first assumption was wrong.

Yixing’s chances were getting better and better.

“Myeonie!” Sehun called out as Chanyeol gently lowered him to the ground. “Ready…”

“Are you done already? That was quite fast.” the man said as he brushed a patch of his his back from his face. Sehun nodded and lifted his arms up to be picked up instead of walking.

Yixing watched with a warming feeling in his chest. Chanyeol approached them from behind, resting a hand on Yixing’s shoulder. The latter turned around and met Chanyeol’s sparkling eyes, his head tilting over to the stack of presents hidden behind Santa’s chair. They were reserved for kids who acted especially kind and had manners. Unfortunately for today, only two kids were worthy of getting anything based on Yixing’s judgement. And that was being generous.

But it was the end of the day and Sehun was the poster child of good parenting.

“Hey Sehun,” Yixing said softly, “do you want to pick out a present? Santa just told me you were very good tonight.”

“Can I?” he gasped under his breath. Yixing nodded and as he was put on the ground, Sehun reached to hold his hand. He wasn’t a completely cold-hearted person; of course, he held it as he led him back to the pile that had caught his eye earlier. Some other children tried to dig right into the pile the moment they caught sight of all the presents. Yixing ‘regretfully’ informed them that they were for decoration only.

Once they were close enough, Sehun let go of Yixing’s hand to examine the presents one by one.

The man came to stand shoulder to shoulder with Yixing. “I don’t think I introduced myself. Sorry, I’m a little forgetful when dealing with Sehun,” he chuckled to himself and held out a hand. Yixing took it. It was as warm as the smile gracing his features that very moment. “I’m Junmyeon.”

“Yixing.”

“I know.”

“Wait… what?” Yixing asked. His brows furrowed in confusion. Junmyeon laughed again and pointed down to Yixing’s chest. It was a beautiful cheerful jolly sound that Yixing could listen to all day.

“I’m also a magic elf. Don’t you know we all know each other’s names?” Junmyeon joked with a dorky smile over his cheeks.

“What.” Yixing stared on in confusion.

“Your nametag. It’s a little hard to miss with all the doodles.”

Yixing blushed as he forgot that he had worn his normal name tag, so the parents could refer to him by name. He turned away from Junmyeon in mild embarrassment, watching instead Chanyeol helping Sehun pick out the perfect present to take home.

Around Sehun were a few options he was debating between: a larger box with candy wrapping paper, a soft odd shape with little ‘ho, ho, ho’s’ written over the paper and two more Yixing couldn’t make out. After touching each present with care, Sehun talked to Chanyeol over what he liked about the present and what he didn’t. This was a huge decision for a five year old.

Sehune finally picked one out of his small pile of possibilities, a smaller box wrapped in snowman wrapping paper. He clutched it to his chest and gave a small hug to Chanyeol.

Yixing felt happy that Chanyeol helped him to pick out that one. It was a set of twenty-four scented markers with a bunch of little coloring books. He wrapped most of them earlier this week. It certainly was one of the better presents that would last more than an afternoon, no doubt. Sehun approached Junmyeon again, but only held onto his pant leg instead of asking to be picked up.

“It was nice to meet you Yixing,” Junmyeon said. He held out his hand for him to shake again. If Yixing wasn’t covered in fake blush makeup to play his role of a cheery elf, Junmyeon would for sure have noticed the blush covering his face. The only bad thing was that Yixing probably wasn’t ever going to see him again.

Tragic, but that’s life.

“You too!” Yixing replied with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm. He shook Junmyeon’s offered hand as Sehun called out to ‘Santa’ to be safe while delivering presents Christmas Eve night. Chanyeol waved back and asked him and Junmyeon to be safe on the way home. Sehun hid his face in Junmyeon’s pant leg. The little boy didn’t wave until Junmyeon nudged him on the shoulder.

Junmyeon gave one final wave before heading out of the Santa area and towards the main exit. Yixing stared down at the paper snuck into his palm when Junmyeon shook his hand. Based on the phone number and sheer number of doodles, maybe Yixing could arrange to see Junmyeon again.


End file.
